


Skyward Sword Manga Analysis and Theorization

by Kotanto



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: (brief and unimportant) mentions of self-harm, Legend of Zelda Analysis, Legend of Zelda Theories, Mentions of Death, Mentions of Imprisonment, manga analysis, manga theories, mentions of torture, skyward sword manga - Freeform, skyward sword manga analysis, skyward sword manga spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:01:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27785644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kotanto/pseuds/Kotanto
Summary: A collection of analysis and thoughts regarding the Skyward Sword Manga.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 7





	Skyward Sword Manga Analysis and Theorization

**Author's Note:**

> The following content contains spoilers for the Skyward Sword Manga. If you’ve not read it yet but are interested in it, it can be accessed at Zeldadungeon.net
> 
> Now that that’s out of the way, let’s get into it.

This will likely be easier to read with access to the Skyward Sword manga, as it's far too difficult to create image links for individual panels to imbed around the appropriate paragraphs. If you do not have a copy of the manga or Hyrule Historia, the manga can be accessed at Zeldadungeon.net . Searching 'skyward sword manga' in the website's search tab should bring it up. 

The first panel of the manga, right after the opening with a young Skyward Sword Link, shows spiraling clouds that allow a view of the land below. This is to transition from the previous pages where it had been established that the ‘camera’ is above the cloud line. As you read down the panel, the clouds take on a dark red coloration. This is likely to add visual correlation with the line, “...a dark age was brewing, shrouded with fear and betrayal.” Though it is possible that this could be a visual representation of Demise leaking down upon Hyrule from above the clouds. However, this would not make sense, as the reason Hylia created Skyloft was because Demise could not reach it. So if Demise had originally come from above the clouds, that would make the area part of his accessible domain, and therefore an unsafe place to put Skyloft. 

The next panel shows a castle stationed on a hill above a deciduous forest. From this it can be deduced that society has been thriving for a while (as noted by structures denoting civilization), and is now in some semblance of a medieval era (as are most Zelda games and works).

One question arises: what is the purpose of this castle? In the real world, castles were mainly built as protection for the noble or ruling class, however, the rulers of later cultures and societies built grand structures in order to secure their status as the supreme ruler and make their reign feel prosperous to their subjects.

The architecture showcased seems more primed for defense rather than decoration, which would make sense seeing as it is modeled after medieval European castles; with parapets for concealing troops in battle. There is also a rectangular black marking on the frontmost tower that could possibly be an arrowslit, but due to the fact that it stands alone this is likely not the case, and any other window-like structures are simply windows following a pattern that suggests a spiral staircase inside the tower. 

But if the structure is defensive, then who is the enemy? The first and most obvious assumption is that it is the forces of the Demon King, the people who come down and speak with the first Link while he is still imprisoned mention that the Demon King’s army is almost upon them. There could possibly have also been conflict with the Demon King’s army before the opening of the manga, seeing as they discuss that Link had a premonition of danger, possibly having to do with the threat of the Demon King. This premonition is required to take place outside of, and specifically before the opening of the manga, seeing as Link is first introduced as imprisoned. 

Now, please note that the following thoughts are a lot more theory than gatherable fact.

It is stated that Link was framed by a Lord Dagianis, who was later killed by the Demon King. The old man who comes to Link while he is imprisoned phrases his words in a way that makes it seem as if first Link warned them of danger, then was framed, then served years in prison, and is now being liberated after Dagianis’ death. 

It sounds as if Lord Dagianis was in league with the Demon King, who felt threatened by Link’s prediction of the threat the lord posed. Seeing as the Demon King’s goal is to gain the triforce and destroy Hylia’s people, it would make sense that Dagianis is murdered once he is no longer of use, and the death of a noble who had Link thrown in jail for his ‘crimes’ suddenly being murdered by the being that Link had predicted was trouble in the first place is rather suspicious, thus why they finally decided to turn to Link for help.

The Demon King wouldn't've needed to throw Link into prison and frame him if he wasn’t a threat, so if Link was only a simple knight there wouldn’t be any need. It is much less likely anyone would listen to him if he had no rank or status of importance. This makes it seem as if Link was a general or someone important, and possibly someone close to the Lords of the land. The opening statements that it was an age of ‘fear and betrayal’ could be denoting how Link was betrayed by his people when they did not listen to him, but could also speak to a deeper betrayal by people he genuinely trusted and thought to be his friends, which in this case would be various nobles and other people of importance in the kingdom. 

However, it is shown that Link has a deep love for the land of Hylia and it’s people as a whole, so a public rejection of him as opposed to a personal one could affect him just as deeply. 

Now, about the government. There is likely no form of ruling monarchy, at least, not in the sense of the monarchy established after Skyward Sword, in which Skyward Sword’s Zelda is likely the ruling matriarch. It is clear that there is some form of nobility, this can be easily figured by Link’s scarf and pauldrons, to which no one else has armor similar to or of the same quality (although, this could also be a design choice in order to draw more attention to Link as the main character), as well as the mention of Lords and a clear authority possessed by the old men who come to tell Link he is being released from prison. 

This seems to point to a single Lord or a council of Lords that work in tandem with their generals to manage the kingdom and it’s military. The old men who come to release Link could possibly be Lords themselves.

The title of ‘Lord’ could be earned, or it could be inherited from one’s predecessors. So Link could either be a Lord by inheritance, by deed and merit, or he could simply be a knight with no political standing.

Being a Lord and pointing out the threat that the Demon King poses does make him more of a threat that if he was just a general or military personnel, however, it would make it harder to imprison him. That is, unless whatever he was framed for was very, very bad. Considering the severity of the punishment, which could have even been lifelong imprisonment, it must have been a severe crime. 

A typical motif that is seen throughout history is the separation of classes, often with the nobility looking down upon those of lower socioeconomic standing. If Link was a noble, then he was a very fair, very kind noble. This is denoted both by his friendship with Orville, who appears to be a common person, and how he is described by Hylia, specifically his, “kind, gentle spirit.”

Immediately after the scene is set, there is a shot of Link in chains. He's in prison, this has been discussed. But what is also present is fresh bruises and blood on his arms. It’s later established that Link has been in prison for a long time, meaning he’d probably have long term injuries from the shackles, but what about those fresh bruises and blood?

There are three options here:

  * The colorists wanted to better establish Link is not doing very well right now, and added the blood and bruises to convey that
  * Link received these from someone else recently
  * Link did this to himself recently



The first point explains itself and isn't as interesting, so that will not be discussed. 

The second point implies that not only is Link being imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit, but is also being subjected to some form of physical punishment either by decree of whoever is ruling the land or by the hands of the guards who bring him food and water.

It is possible that one manner of punishment is regular torture, so this could be one explanation for the bruises. Perhaps whatever Link was framed for was so horrible that it not only earned him lifelong imprisonment, but regular beating/torture/physical injury. ‘Regular’ is only being assumed. The blood and bruises appear fresh, so these are recent, and the likelihood of finding recent bruises and blood is best explained by a higher/regular occurrence of torture.

It is also possible that the guards do this to Link of their own accord, and there’s a couple options here as well.

The first is that the guards despise Link for what he’s done and hurt him both for that, or perhaps as a means of taking out whatever frustrations they may have on someone who is both publicly viewed as bad and cannot defend themself. This makes most sense in the context that Link was someone respected in the military/guard/knighthood, as if it was discovered that a knight did something horrible, their comrades would likely despise them for it out of a sense of betrayal that someone they thought was good would do such a thing, and anger and disappointment at the shameful thing they had done while carrying the title of ‘knight’. 

The second and less likely option is that Link regularly tries to escape his bonds and thus is forced into submission by the guards. This is improbable for a few reasons.

  * When Link is introduced, his entire posture and facial expression conveys that he is tired and broken, this is not the face and posture of someone who takes every chance to try and escape. He even says later on ‘my sword is broken, I cannot run’.
  * Link knows he did nothing wrong, and trying to escape would only convince everyone otherwise
  * Link does not seem the person to resist authority or try to hurt someone for something like this, especially when they are people he likely cares for and is familiar with.



And the third/least likely point, Link did this to himself. This is improbable for a couple solid reasons.

  * Why? He’s done nothing wrong and has no reason to feel the need to punish himself, he’s not shown to be the kind of person to hurt themselves just to feel something, there’s no motive.
  * How? The dude’s chained to a wall.



It seems most likely that the guards are the ones who rough him up, but perhaps that is just myself not wanting to think about a government that uses prolonged torture as a legal means of punishment. Hylia, get your people under control. 

It’s finally time to talk about Link’s first panel with his eyes in it. This is the worst kind of “wake up Link” or “open your eyes Link” that one could ask for. The words are, “Link… Link the hero.” And then Link looks up. I’d like to talk first about the emotions on his face, as well as the significance of the old men referring to him as the Hero.

Even though only one eye is shown, the emotion present is amazingly complex. The droop of his eyelid and low brow suggest that he is tired, weary, exhausted even. The furrow of his brow expresses frustration or anger, perhaps some resentment as well. The overall upward tilt towards the face’s center of his eyebrow conveys some degree of sadness or hurt. The way his lower lid is not relaxed and partially pinched upwards also conveys that Link is hurt (both emotionally and physically in my opinion.) 

Tl;Dr: Link is tired, frustrated, and hurt. 

How does this relate to them calling him ‘the hero’? And what is its significance? 

Remember, he’s just been imprisoned for a long time, possibly tortured/beat on a regular basis, and now the same people who caused this to happen just waltz on down to the dungeon and call him a hero. Not just any hero, _the_ hero, _their_ hero. 

This also raises the question, did Link earn the title of hero beforehand, or are they prematurely calling him a hero in response to the fact that they’re entrusting him with their salvation?

It’s entirely possible that Link has gone on journeys and quests before he was thrown into prison. 

The temples and structures on the surface, as well as Lanayru’s mining facility and everything must have been in full swing during the time of the First Hero. There are clearly three dragons as well as monsters, so it’s possible that Link had already saved Hylia’s Land once or more before the manga, thus why he is referred to as “the chosen hero” by the people of the land even before Hylia deems him worthy to forge the Goddess Sword. Though he probably didn’t save them from the Demon King, seeing as that is the whole plot of the manga, and likely saved them from the Demon King’s forces. 

However, this Link probably did not have any guides on his journey whatsoever. No sword spirit, no talking hat, no fairy, no talking boat, no twili lady, no sheikah. Sheikah were created after or right before Hylia’s first incarnation, in order to protect the goddess’s mortal form.

On the subject of Hylia, I'd like to mention briefly Hylia's sacrifice. Even though she was set to be reincarnated through Zelda for years upon years to come, even as a goddess she was required to die. Not in the sense that her spirit would not live on, but in the sense that Zelda contains none of Hylia's memories. So despite the reincarnation, who Hylia was before Skyward Sword is someone she will never be again. In that sense, her death was permanent, lasting, and a necessary sacrifice in order to accompany Link throughout time. This idea carries more weight than the idea that Zelda carries Hylia's spirit, but Hylia still exists intact in her form as a goddess. However, the idea of Hylia's permanent death as a diety could be non canonical, I haven't yet played enough Zelda games to confirm whether Hylia is only worshipped still as a deity or still exists in some form as a goddess apart from her Hylian incarnation as Zelda. 

It is also worth mentioning a theory on Hylia’s/Link’s sailcloth. In Skyward Sword, it is said that Hylia gave the sailcloth to her first chosen hero, and that is what the ritual seen in SS is based off of. But Link never receives the sailcloth in the manga, so when did he? Did he get one at all?

One option is Hylia buried Link with her own two hands after he died battling Demise, and gave him the sailcloth as a parting gift and death shroud. This implies some interesting symbolism: where the first sailcloth was a goodbye, the sailcloth SS Link receives marks the beginning of an adventure.

The second is that the sailcloth itself is entirely symbolic, acting as a symbol of Hylia’s blessing to reincarnate Link’s spirit, and perhaps even a symbol of her favor towards him. This makes the scene in Skyward Sword more romantic than it is already implied to be, and it is as if Zelda is essentially giving Link a symbol of her love. This could also tie into medieval culture, in which during tournaments, ladies would give sleeves, scarves, or a similar piece of fabric to knights as a token of favor, good luck, and/or courtship. 

Alright, there’s the analysis and theory on two pages of the Skyward Sword Manga. I’m going to cut it off here and possibly continue later depending on time constraints and other fanfiction/projects. 

**Author's Note:**

> If you’ve got thoughts feel free to leave them below.


End file.
